The present invention relates a network system where a plurality of network devices and an administration device which is required to store the IP addresses of the plurality of devices are interconnected in a network.
Recently, among the digital multifunction devices available on the market is a network system schematically shown in FIG. 7, that is, a digital multifunction device capable of implementing a network system comprising a plurality of digital multifunction devices 110, a scan agent computer 150, an internet router 160, a file server 170, and an administrator's computer 180.
The internet router 160 included in the network system is a device for connecting each computer in the network system to the Internet. The file server 170 is a computer where a folder is set which is capable of writing a file. The administrator's computer 180 is a computer used by the administrator of the network system (mainly the digital multifunction device 110 and the scan agent computer 150). That is, these devices are devices having ordinary features alone (typically included in a general LAN).
The scan agent computer 150 is a computer in which is installed a scan agent program 140 developed for the digital multifunction device 110. The scan agent program 140 is a so-called memory-resident program. The powered-on scan agent computer 150 (on which the scan agent program 140 is running) functions as a device for creating a file of image data transmitted from the digital multifunction device 110, or image data generated by a scanner in the digital multifunction device 10, to store the file in the file server 170 as well as transmitting an e-mail where the image data transmitted from the digital multifunction device 110 is attached.
In short, the scan agent program 140 is a program which must be installed in a computer on a LAN to which the digital multifunction device 110 is connected in order to cause the digital multifunction device 110 to work as a device capable of performing the processes of creating a file of image data of a manuscript set on a scanner to store the file in the files server and transmitting an e-mail where the image data of a manuscript set on the scanner is attached (these processes are hereinafter referred to as scan data transmit processes).
The digital multifunction device 110 and the scan agent program 140 require cumbersome setting work in starting the operation.
The procedure to be followed when starting the digital multifunction device 110 will be described taking as an example a case where a network system shown in FIG. 6 (the system including two digital multifunction devices 110) is implemented. In the following description, it is assumed that setting of an IP address to the scan agent computer 150 is complete. The IP address assigned to the scan agent computer 150 is hereinafter referred to as an agent IP address.
In this case, the administrator of the network system (or a person who installs the digital multifunction device 110) performs device address setting work as being work of setting an IP address (hereinafter referred to as a device address) to one digital multifunction device 110 (hereinafter referred to as Digital Multifunction Device A). After that, the administrator performs device address setting work to the other digital multifunction device 110 (hereinafter referred to as Digital Multifunction Device B). The IP address setting work is work which requires operation on an operation panel provided on the Digital Multifunction Device B, that is, work which needs to be done at a location where the digital multifunction device 110 is installed.
Next, the administrator operates an administrator's computer or another computer on the LAN to display a web page used to register the digital multifunction device retained by the scan agent computer 150 on the display of the administrator's computer 180. The web page includes a column for entering an administration name concerning the digital multifunction device to be registered and the IP address, and a registration button to instruct registration. The administrator enters an administration name determined for Digital Multifunction Device A and the IP address of Digital Multifunction Device A on the web page, and presses the registration button.
When such work (“Device address/administration name registration on Multifunction Device A” in FIG. 7) is done, information including the administration name and IP address entered by the administrator is transmitted from the administrator's computer 180 to the scan agent computer 150.
The scan agent computer 150 (scan agent program 140), receiving the information, performs address notification processing whereby the device (Digital Multifunction Device A in this case) assigned an IP address included in the information is notified of an agent IP address (IP address assigned to the computer). The scan agent computer 150, receiving information indicating that the agent IP address has been received from Digital Multifunction Device A, “acknowledge OK”), performs administration information registration processing whereby the administration information including the administration name and device IP address entered by the administrator is internally stored.
When this administration information registration processing is complete, a web page indicating that is displayed on the administrator's computer 180 (not shown in FIG. 7). The administrator operates the administrator's computer 180 to perform the same work on Multifunction Device B as that for Multifunction Device A.
As understood from the foregoing description, when operation of the digital multifunction device 110 is started (when installation of the digital multifunction device 110 is started), the administrator must perform setting of the digital multifunction device 110 and setting of the administrator's computer 180. The administrator's computer 180 (or a computer capable of setting the scan agent computer 150) is not necessarily installed near the digital multifunction device 110, so that the work to be done by the administrator at the start of operation of the digital multifunction device 110 is rather cumbersome.
When the layout of an office is changed, IP addresses of several digital multifunction device 110 must be changed. In this network system, in such a case, the IP address of the digital multifunction device 110 must be first changed and modification to the administration information concerning the digital multifunction device 110 (IP address included in the administration information) must be made for the scan agent computer 150. Further, the network system is a system which involves cumbersome installation in that a unique administration name of each digital multifunction device 110 must be determined.